CHAPTER 16
The whole left side of the house is in flames.
Giant orange tongues lick at the walls and roof. As mum, Ru, and I all hurry out of the bunker, the dogs yelp inside and the cats scream. Mrs. Swanson, although safe in her shelter away from the house, is wild-eyed, gaze locked on the flames.
Just in front of us, dad throws down the book and kicks open the back door that leads into the kitchen. Thick smoke pours out of it, along with Honey and Cheyenne, followed by the quick darting figures of Tiddlywinks and Hopscotch; their tails bushed in fright. The Grand Vizier swoops out behind them, soaring into the sky to free himself from the smoke. I wait for a moment, expecting to see Brennan come charging out too, but as the minutes pass, there’s no sign of him.
My heart kicks away a
